CICC confirms 'informal' complaints regarding love scams
By Sonny Daanoy
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), confirmed on Wednesday, Dec. 6, that they have received "informal" complaints regarding love scams.
"There are still a lot of complaints na natatanggap natin informally, na na-biktima sila ng love scam (We still receive a lot of informal complaints about people falling victim to love scams)," CICC Director Rojun Hosillos said on the sidelines of "Kapihan sa Manila Bay" at Cafe Adriatico in Manila.
He emphasized that this kind of scam often involves a scenario where someone falsely claims to be someone's lover.
"Then they'll assert that they have sent goods and money, but later they allege that the items are being held up by customs," Hosillo told reporters in a mix of Filipino and English.
"Afterward, they will ask for money to supposedly solve the customs issue," he added.
The love scam is identified as the 10th fraudulent style to watch out for in CICC's anti-scam campaign, "12 Scams of Christmas," specifically focusing on dating scams.
According to the campaign, if someone encounters this style of crime, the public is advised to be cautious and "magdamot" (stingy).
READ:
Moreover, Hosillos emphasized that in love scams, the transactions are not just limited to money and goods. They also extend to illegal drugs.
"And indeed, we had a companion earlier who mentioned that someone is now sending drugs," he said.
Moreover, the CICC director noted the "unfortunate aspect of love scams: they can be operated by individuals either within or outside the Philippines, making it challenging to trace and apprehend those responsible."
Deepfake
Meanwhile, during the media conference, Hosillos emphasized the illegal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in love scams, particularly through Deepfake technology.
"Nowadays, there are already deepfakes (a video featuring an individual whose face or body has been digitally modified to give the appearance of someone else)," he said.
"We might think we're talking to our mother, relative, or friend, but it turns out it's just an imitation," he added.
'Internet is not a private space'
Furthermore, Hosillos pointed out the anonymity of users in cyberspace, which allows the person talking to remain unknown.
"Added to that is our normal situation --- if we are dealing with the internet, everyone using it has anonymity, and we don't really know who is on the other line," he said.
"So, we have to worry on using the internet," he added.
Hosillos also noted that "the internet is not a private space, it is a public space."
"And if we think the cyberspace is safe, we are really wrong," Hosillos said.
RELATED STORY:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/23/ph-records-highest-shopping-scam-rate-among-11-asian-countries
Furthermore, he reminded the public that "cyber safety starts with us."
"What we apply to our physical security should also be applied to our cyberspace," he said.